BEACH RACIN' : Thoughts On T V NASCAR 9/12

Everything they told us would happen at Bristol actually happened at R I R…..whoda thunk it…but first :

THE WEEKLY “ FRONT ROW JOE REPORTY ”

Well, “Po Boy Joe ” was KO’d for the third week of the last four by the ignition box……….and they have two separate ignition systems in those cars !

RACE LAPS RUN MONEY WON

#26/36 Richmond 24 OF 400 (6%) (Ignition) $ 66,625-

YTD 955 OF 7,180 (13.3%) $ 2,103,258-

Took a peek at Joe’s Nationwide numbers, and was glad to see that he actually finished a couple of races in this series. He is currently 13th in the Nationwide driver points and that has earned Front Row Joe $ 531,182.

Now that brings up an interesting question……at $531 K and 13th place in the Nationwide series, Nemechek is SIXTY THIRD (63RD) in the Sprint Cup points, and on target to cash checks for more than $ 3 MILLION BUCKS ! ..... WHY DID Morgan Shepard waste so many years starting and parking in the Nationwide series ?

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THE RACE :

I just could not stop laughing as the “ Boys Had At It ” in Virginia, just a couple of hours drive from Bristol Tenn. The T.V. talking heads never said a word about that situation, but the irony runs deep in that truth. For years, I can remember going to Richmond where they had grandstand seating on the front stretch, and on the back stretch ( pretty low down) and nothing in the corners. As the world turns, the nosebleed seats get built.

Truthfully, racing at Richmond was always about as Ho-Hum as it is at Michigan. I wonder if that is brought about by “Evolution” or by “ Creative Design” ?

So glad to finally reach “ Chase Status ”. One more week of “ Chase Scenarios ” and I was ready to go back to Rabbit Ears TV.

Interestingly, most of the much talked about Chase scenarios blew up before lap 9 at RIR.

This week I suddenly realized what a “sort of sturdy” race team Tommy Baldwin has been building quietly.

Stephen Leicht gave Tommy’s # 36 a good ride at RIR, and Baldwin seems to have built his “ Start & Park ” operation into a mid-pack weekly contender.

Tommy grew up following his dad, Tom, around on the NE Modified Tour. We once put Big Tom on the cover of “ Racing Times ” magazine, in a bathing suit instead of a fire suit. They lived on Long Island, surrounded by beaches, and Long Island Sound.

BONEHEAD MOVE OF THE RACE AT RIR: Carl Edward’s crew chief leaving him out on old tires late in the race under a yellow flag. Had to be on Carl’s mind as he came home second.

On to what everyone is calling Chicagoland Speedway, but it IS, and always has been, “ The Route 66 Speedway ”.